Andrea Obertello, GM FSMilan “the development of emotional intelligence as the basis of our work”

You were appointed General Manager of the Four Seasons Milan in 2019. What have been your main satisfactions over the years?

Let's say that in 36 months I have lived a full “package”. 2019, the year I arrived, was a record year, everyone told me we would never beat 2018 but we did. We had so many projects that went very well, including several pop-ups in various locations in the hotel. We were really excited. The last one we had opened on February 13, 2020, then after a few days we closed the hotel. Actually we didn't know what was going to happen. At first we thought that Milan and Lombardy was the only place where there was Covid, besides China. After that it spread everywhere and we already know how that went.?

When we reopened we had so many uncertainties. We were closed until July 1, 2020 with so much effort, both humanly and professionally. It was a difficult period because we wanted to be close to the people who make this hotel, the team. In the meantime we also had to plan for the work that would force us to close another 6 months. We reopened for good on July 1, 2021. The reopening was well received by the Milanese community and repositioning in the local market was one of my goals, so for me everything has been a source of satisfaction.? Perhaps the best thing is the fact that after all we have experienced, we have managed to keep most of our team with us. To date we have brought on new people but the beating heart of this hotel has remained.

Congratulations because it is always difficult to look at the interests of a company and protect your team at the same time. I’ll follow up on this topic with the following question. Isadore (Issy) Sharp opened the first Four Seasons with a desire to offer a more personal style of service: "We opened our hotel based on a very simple principle: treat every customer as a special customer." As a person, and as director of the Four Seasons in Milan, what does this mean to you?

For me it means compability with who I am and what the 230 souls who make this hotel alive are. We hire staff based on that, the technique aspect becomes secondary. The most important aspect for us is just the fact that a person has to treat others the way they would like to be treated. And that was exactly what Mr. Sharp meant, because we all wish to be treated well. So this aspect impressed me a lot and it is what has kept me here since 2004. I started as a receptionist and 16 years later, I am here as general manager. I feel that I live every day and make every decision with this principle in mind because ultimately these are the values I grew up with. Having the ability to match who you are with what you do at work is a considerable benefit. And when the heart is in the right place, in my opinion, there is no possibility of making mistakes. You can make mistakes, sure, and good thing, because otherwise you don't learn. But the heart guides us, because you have the knowledge that you did the best you could with what you knew at that moment. And this company allows me to do that.

You began your career in Jamaica at Sandals Beach Resort, and in December 2004 you started working at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts in Uruguay. In those fourteen years of working within the company, what have you learned? And how has your approach to hospitality matured or changed?

Yes it has definitely changed. First of all, because the requirements change according to the role, but mostly because I have become more reflective and strategic. Another aspect that I have tried to develop is emotional intelligence with people to figure out how to leave a mark. That's one of the things you have to pay a lot of attention to, especially in this type of business, where we have different types of clients and we work with a team that sees you as an example. And everybody has different skills, different nationalities, different backgrounds. Getting to communicate on a personal and professional level requires this extra effort, it's not about influencing or manipulating. It’s about leaving something valuable that that person will be able to take with them, in their work or in their life. This is one of the aspects I have focused on the most. Motivating is a key aspect.

Certainly it's something that helps you, too, because it's about putting yourself out there, reflecting, questioning yourself....

Mindfulness requires constant work, the ability to self-reflect, and rethink your decisions. It's a lot of effort certainly, but it brings you a lot of satisfaction. You see your hotel growing, the team believing in you, and then you get the occasional email from someone who has worked with you in the past and is now in an important role, thanking you for your advice. The numbers are important and the business goals are important, but my goal is to leave something behind that will go on without me.?

What is the magic of the Four Seasons Hotel Milan?

It's a combination of factors. It has an incredible, breathtaking location. Then you walk in and our people make you feel at home. We worked a lot on the environment, the light, the scents... I think Patricia saw us perfectly and was able to create a magical, relaxing, welcoming place. This energy is intangible, and there are so many elements that make it all work. It's like a symphony that from beginning to end has to make sense.

You are very passionate, a hurricane, full of energy. When you wake up in the morning and you know you have to start a new work day, where do you get your trademark energy and smile?

I try to wake up early and work out at the gym to start off on the right foot. And then when I open my eyes I think that really being able to do what we enjoy is a gift that we need to remember every day. I feel that I'm in the right place, and knowing that even one of the thousand things I say to people can make a difference and leave a mark, well that's my charge! That makes me believe that my work is meaningful. That is the main reason. Of course, I have "bad" days too, I am human, however, the fact remains that I believe in it and I love what I do and when it happens it is hard not to be motivated. The day when I say "oh god I have to go to work", and it's not about physical fatigue, but the feeling of a burden at the idea of doing this job, then it means I have to change because those around me deserve better.

Find the entire video interview here.